Doctor’s Rebirth

Now I understand why those proud Medical Pavilion heads yield to Yoo Ho’s words.

‘But I need Yoo Ho.’

If there was someone who could replace him, it would have been done long ago.

Jin Cheon-hee turned his head to look at the penicillin.

“Please have the proper effect. It has to. If it doesn’t work, with that personality, how much more troublesome will he be?”

Jin Cheon-hee prayed deeply in his heart to a god he had never believed in before.

***

Syphilis.

While there are various causes for its outbreak, the biggest factor is infection through sexual contact.

Originally, on Earth, it was a disease found in the West Indies. After Columbus and his crew, who could be said to have opened the Age of Exploration, became infected and spread it to Europe, it then spread to the entire world. This was the established theory when Jin Cheon-hee studied it, but…

These days, evidence is being found that it existed in Europe 100 years before Columbus, so it’s uncertain again.

‘Either way, it’s not important to me.’

The problem is the treatment method for syphilis.

In this era, if you get infected with syphilis, you usually die.

Moreover, apart from the high mortality rate, there’s no proper treatment.

Extreme medicines containing mercury were often used as treatments, but they were not really effective and often led to more painful deaths due to mercury poisoning.

As a result, syphilis became a cursed disease that killed countless infected people until penicillin was developed.

It’s the same in this world of the Hua Empire.

Whether it originated in the West Indies like in actual history is unknown, but the fact that syphilis exists is true, and it’s still a disease killing many people within the Hua Empire.

An incurable disease.

Naturally, Jin Cheon-hee’s request to gather syphilis patients spread throughout the entire Medical Pavilion.

“I believe in the young master.”

Phantom Archer said with eyes full of trust.

Wang Gak-yeon also clenched her fist.

“I want to help too, Dad!”

“You rest. You haven’t fully recovered yet.”

She had inherited Phantom Archer’s personality and was excellent in taking action.

In the past, she had played the role of a good daughter because she had to watch over her father who was in a precarious state, but now it was different.

Now that Phantom Archer’s life had stabilized. It was time for her to find what she wanted to do.

“But you can’t do anything until you’re fully recovered. That’s the policy. If you disobey, Uncle Phantom Archer will get scolded by the master instead, right? For making his not fully recovered daughter work.”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s logical words, Wang Gak-yeon puffed up her cheeks.

“I can help too…”

Jin Cheon-hee laughed at those words.

“Hahaha, you can help after you’re fully recovered. By then, you’ll be crying that there’s too much work!”

There was another reason why Jin Cheon-hee was so desperately blocking her.

‘I heard that many people from the Hao Sect will be coming… It’s not good for children’s education. Gak-yeon…’

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease.

Naturally, many people from the Hao Sect, an unorthodox sect centered around brothels, would gather.

Jin Cheon-hee and Phantom Archer exchanged glances.

***

Hao Sect.

It’s an unorthodox sect responsible for brothels and taverns in the martial world.

There’s no place where people live that doesn’t have alcohol.

Hao Sect has bases wherever people gather.

Even the most stoic person loosens their tongue when alcohol enters. They make money by selling information obtained there, and sometimes plant spies to induce carelessness and expand their influence.

The problem is that the human rights sensibility of this era is very different from that of modern Earth.

The majority of Hao Sect’s members are children who were sold at a young age.

Some are orphans from birth, but some are sold by their families to make ends meet due to poverty.

There’s not much difference between the two.

They are examined for their constitution and appearance to determine whether they’ll be used as guards protecting Hao Sect, as spies, or as discarded pawns.

Children selected in this way learn the martial arts of the unorthodox sect, as well as dancing and singing.

Because it’s an unorthodox sect, there are no moral boundaries.

Because they can die at any time, the children live a life detached from the ordinary world.

This is why once in Hao Sect, always in Hao Sect.

It’s forever impossible to repay the debt incurred when being sold, and they haven’t learned any other means of livelihood besides what they learned in Hao Sect.

‘They say the best-case scenario is becoming a concubine of a high official.’

It’s not a place where one can retire with honor.

“Please take care of us, young master.”

A man and woman wearing thick makeup entered.

They were all of beautiful appearance, but had been greatly damaged by syphilis. To cover this, their makeup was even thicker.

Some even covered their faces with veils, and many were carried by martial artists because they had difficulty moving.

However, the characteristic odor was clearly that of sick people, causing all the physicians to wrinkle their faces, unable to bear it.

Even in the martial world, Hao Sect always took on the dirtiest jobs.

The treatment received by those living in their brothels was obvious.

Only Jin Cheon-hee replied with a calm expression.

“Thank you for taking the trouble to come.”

“This body is not worth even a coin. We’re grateful that you’ll use us even like this. Huhuhu.”

It wasn’t a joke to make to a child.

But in the world they had lived in, even that was a joke.

Jin Cheon-hee replied like this:

“I was thinking of treating you at the clinic at the foot of the mountain, but why did you come up directly?”

“What’s scarier than people’s eyes? There’s a difference between knowing something is dirty in your head and actually seeing the dirty thing.”

The Hao Sect members evaluated themselves in this way without any hesitation.

She added one more thing.

“You’re truly eccentric, young master. To gather dirty things for the sake of medical skills.”

Her words had an edge to them.

It was natural, as they had climbed the mountain in their sick state despite being martial artists. But it also contained self-deprecation about their circumstances that forced them to do so.

It was a strange twist.

Jin Cheon-hee calmly replied.

“It’s alright if you don’t believe whether I’ll succeed in treatment or not. I’ll just do everything I can.”

The patient’s circumstances are the patient’s own.

A physician just does their best for treatment.

The Hao Sect members found Jin Cheon-hee’s attitude curious.

They exchanged glances with each other.

‘We’d heard that Divine Doctor Baek Rin’s disciple was eccentric, but it’s really true.’

‘He’s not sympathizing, nor is he looking down on us…’

‘He’s so straightforward that it’s rather hard to read him.’

These were Hao Sect members who had been through all sorts of experiences.

Even to them, Jin Cheon-hee was quite a unique character.

It was strange enough that he volunteered to treat syphilis and sought out patients, but he wasn’t looking down on them as dirty people, nor was he sympathizing with them as pitiful lives.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves. My name is Mu-hwa^[1]. Young hall master. My younger brother’s name is Mu-wol^[2]. We will lead the Hao Sect members who have come together.”

Mu-hwa spoke sweetly, spreading a red smile.

Jin Cheon-hee asked.

“Both of you have symptoms of syphilis, correct?”

“Yes. Both my brother and I were infected around the same time, though the degree differs.”

Jin Cheon-hee nodded.

“I understand. Chief Yoo. Please escort everyone to the wards.”

With that, Jin Cheon-hee began his work.

***

“I’ve lived my whole life in brothels, but I’ve never seen a child like that before.”

“Sister. You went too far with your jokes towards the young hall master of the White Dragon Medical Pavilion.”

Mu-hwa and Mu-wol had a conversation outside after being assigned to their ward.

They were siblings sold from a poor family.

Both had outstanding beauty from a young age, so Hao Sect had put great effort into raising them.

They had talent in dancing and singing, and were also good at painting, calligraphy, and literature.

They once rose to the position of branch leaders, but were pushed to the back rooms after contracting syphilis.

“Mu-wol. Why don’t you just be honest now? You’re fine.”

“You know what happens to syphilis patients in Hao Sect in the end. Who will take care of you if not me, sister?”

“You’re truly a fool, Mu-wol.”

“You’re the fool, sister. If only we had run away together when I suggested it, both of us would have been fine…”

At those words, Mu-hwa laughed for a while.

“Our parents said, didn’t they? To consider Hao Sect as our home now and live there. They’re the ones who caught our hands when we ran away and handed us back to Hao Sect.”

“Sister.”

“Where would we go if we ran away? And do you think Hao Sect would wave goodbye to us?”

The wind blew.

The sound of bamboo was like the sound of rain.

Under her thick makeup, the blisters that were evidence of syphilis were clearly visible.

“That young master…”

“Let’s not have hasty expectations, Mu-wol.”

“Sister.”

She shook her head.

“It’s probably just a young master’s whim. We just need to offer our bodies and steal information.”

Hao Sect had received a request.

To investigate the movements of the White Dragon Medical Pavilion and gather information about the young hall master.

From his reputation to his medical skills. It’s fine even if they can’t find weaknesses.

They should find out whatever they can, even small details.

It was quite a broad request.

As always, the siblings didn’t know who made this request.

When they were branch leaders, they used to receive more information, but now they were just discarded pawns.

That’s why Mu-wol was desperate.

“A request is just a request, sister. Why don’t you focus on the treatment?”

“Do you think an incurable disease is called incurable for no reason, Mu-wol? You should stop taking care of someone like me and do what you want to do.”

“Taking care of you is more important than selling smiles.”

“You’re so dull.”

With those words, she closed her eyes.

‘It’s unlikely, but if, if that young hall master succeeds in the treatment. I…’

Her thoughts ended there.

She sneered again.

‘I’m still just as dull. Even though I know there’s nothing more foolish than dreaming an impossible dream.’

When she was young, she dreamed so many dreams.

The first dream was to eat delicious food to her heart’s content.

But that was something even the most popular courtesans in the brothel couldn’t do.

Unlike other martial artists in the martial world, they couldn’t practice swordsmanship every day either.

Because gaining weight makes them ugly.

‘The next dream was to earn a lot of money and become rich.’

But that was impossible too.

It was Hao Sect that made a lot of money, not the courtesans.

For some reason, the more popular they became, the more their debt increased.

She realized that no matter how beautiful she became, she would never be free from debt.

So she changed the direction of her dreams.

‘I also dreamed of escaping this place.’

She saw the fingers of an escaped courtesan being branded with a hot iron.

She and her siblings had to heat that iron together.

It was an example.

As they heated the iron in the fire, she and her siblings cried.

Even now, there were children who woke up crying.

The hot iron left scars not only on the escaped courtesan but also in the hearts of those who watched.

1. 無花[↩]
2. 無月[↩]

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